Best dairy sheep breed?

[Mini Horses]

@misfitmorgan great info. I like that people looking to get into dairy ask these questions. It helps to keep them "out of trouble". Right up there with taste of milk and milking teats, attitude, etc.

Also -- pigs, chickens, cats, dogs...all love the milk! Not just humans. There's items like butter, sour cream, buttermilk, kefir, that's beyond cheese. I have found myself with waaaaay too much milk at times. But manage thru it. Have goats....lots of big girls that are overachievers.

 

[Kusanar]

@misfitmorgan great info. I like that people looking to get into dairy ask these questions. It helps to keep them "out of trouble". Right up there with taste of milk and milking teats, attitude, etc.

Also -- pigs, chickens, cats, dogs...all love the milk! Not just humans. There's items like butter, sour cream, buttermilk, kefir, that's beyond cheese. I have found myself with waaaaay too much milk at times. But manage thru it. Have goats....lots of big girls that are overachievers.

I enjoy milk baths... so no such thing as too much milk, lol

 

[Niele da Kine]

If there's someone near you who is milking sheep, then if it were me, I'd consider getting that breed of sheep. In order to get milk, the ewes have to be bred and if there's someone nearby with a ram that's different than yours but the same breed, being able to borrow or swap rams would be a good thing?

There's also a pedigree program called 'Kintracks' which lets you track all sorts of data about your herd. Good records are a huge help for good management. It's not a very expensive program, somewhere around $20 Australian which is less than that in U.S. dollars. You can download it and test it our for up to several hundred animals before having to get the key to unlock the whole program. Buy it once, no monthly subscription fees.

 

[GoateeMcfee]

Thank you all for the help!! And to any and all of you who care, this is the current situation (which I am dying in anticipation for!!)


There is a local homesteader Facebook thing (I don't know what its called) and someone posted that they are selling their 2 year old dairy cow! I rarely ever use Facebook but just happened to open my computer the moment it was posted for sale. For whatever reason, jersey cows are in CRAZY high demand in my area and before last week the closest and fastest cow I could get was an 6-7 hour drive away in another state, and a 1-2 year wait list. BUT I GOT LUCKY!! So this cow is due for her first calf on the 12th, then they will keep her with the calf for a small while to make sure it gets all the colostrum and first milk and then I will get the cow! I LOVE sheep cheese and dairy products but they were a distant 2nd under a family cow. Thanks again for all of your help and insight!

 

[misfitmorgan]

Glad you found something that works for your needs! Hope you enjoy your new cow!

 

[GoateeMcfee]

Glad you found something that works for your needs! Hope you enjoy your new cow!

Thank you!

 

[Baymule]

That is terrific! You will have to start a thread for her, make it her own journal! Pictures! We love pictures!